Apex Anthology
by just-jilyy
Summary: A collection of drabbles and one-shots written for Jilytober. Prompts from @revelio-nargles on Tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been having such a difficult time writing lately, so when I saw a prompt list for Jilytober I made a promise to myself that I would try and complete **_**something**_ **for every single day. Even if it's just a short drabble, at least it's something. So anyway, here is Day One. **

**One: Alternate Meeting**

"Mummy I don't _want _to go!"

Lily barely stopped herself before rolling her eyes at Petunia's whining. They were standing in the middle of The Leaky Cauldron, a run down old pub that she had never noticed on a single one of their visits to London, though they had been down that road almost every time. Being only eleven, it took a great effort on Lily's part to keep her irritation with her older sister from bubbling to the surface.

"Petunia, that's enough. You're coming with us to shop for your sister. She starts school next week." Mrs. Evans replied.

"But mummy! _Look _at them." Petunia continued, not bothering to lower her voice. "They're _freaks_, just like her."

Lily felt the blood rush to her cheeks at her sisters words. She was used to being called a freak by her sister by now, but never in public. And this time, it wasn't just her Petunia was calling a freak, it was everyone else in the pub as well, and her sister had managed to say it loud enough that several of them had heard her.

Lily caught the eye of one person in particular-a boy that looked to be her age-and her blush deepened. He had obviously heard what Petunia had said, and his brow was furrowed as he looked back and forth between Lily and Petunia. Lily, embarrassed and angry as she was, turned away from the boy quickly.

"Petunia!" Mrs. Evans gasped, looking down at her oldest daughter in exasperation. "That was a very rude thing to say."

Petunia stood with her arms crossed, her face and body language showing no sign of remorse at her words or the reactions they were causing. Mrs. Evans sighed heavily as she looked between her daughters.

"Lily, sweetheart, wait here while I talk to your sister outside."

Lily sighed. "Yes mum."

She sat down in a rickety old chair closest to her as Petunia trailed after Mrs. Evans through the pub and back out into the cold, rainy street of London. Lily wished, just once, that Petunia could let her have even just one moment without ruining it. Petunia had managed to taint almost everything in Lily's life, even the arrival of her letter informing her of her acceptance to Hogwarts, and it was as though she was determined to keep up her streak.

"Hullo."

Lily jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of someone at her elbow. It was the same boy who had heard Petunia call her, and everyone else in the pub, a freak. Now that he was closer, Lily could see that he was indeed her age. His black hair was ridiculously untidy, the black square frames of his glasses sat crooked on his nose, and he had a stupid grin on his face.

"It's rude to sneak up on people like that." Lily replied. She knew she probably sounded a bit rude, but she really wasn't in the mood to talk to strangers. Especially strangers that had seen such an embarrassing moment.

"I didn't sneak. You can't sneak when you're out in the open like this." the boy replied. "Are you going to Diagon Alley?"

Lily sighed. It was clear this boy wasn't going to be turned away easily. And he was clearly a wizard, so she ought to try and be polite to him.

"Yes," she paused and glanced to the door where her mum and sister had gone. "I'm supposed to, at least."

The boy followed her gaze, nodding. "Muppet, that one, huh?"

Lily's gaze snapped back to the boy. "That one, as you say, is my sister."

"Still, a bit rude yeah?" he continued.

The color returned to Lily's cheeks. It was one thing for her to think Petunia was rude and ridiculous, but for this absolute stranger to comment on it? Who did this boy think he was?

"You're a bit rude." Lily practically spat.

The boy looked at her with a startled expression at the anger behind her words. Lily narrowed her eyes at him, almost daring him to say something more, to give her a reason to express some of the emotion that was building up inside of her.

Before he could say something else, an older looking couple approached, stopping a few tables away.

"James, sweetheart, are you ready?" the woman called.

The boy, James, hesitated. Lily raised an eyebrow. She had been so excited to go shopping in Diagon Alley-an actual part of the wizarding world that she would now be included in-and her sister and this boy had managed to ruin it before she even got to see the place.

"Er...it was nice to meet you then…" he trailed off, unable to finish because he didn't know her name, and he brought his hand to his hair, running his fingers through the already chaotic mess.

"I'm sorry I can't say the same." Lily bit out. She turned away from him then, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the door, waiting for her mum and Petunia to return. She heard James scoff before he turned and walked away from her table to join his parents.

Lily didn't know it then, but that first encounter with James set a precedent for the many that would follow.

**A/N: Ah! I don't know how I feel about this AT ALL. I just feel like Jily's original meeting is so important, I had a hard time creating something different for them. But anyway, at least I got something done. I'm looking forward to the coming days' prompts, and I hope anyone reading this sticks around to see what comes about! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's Day Two. It's a little early, but I have work tomorrow and then two assignments for school that I need to work on and I'm trying really hard to not fall behind on Jilytober so early in the month. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

**Two**

**Halloween 1971**

"I don't think this is your most brilliant idea, mate."

James turned to look at Remus, the quiet boy he had befriended on the train. There was something different about him, but James had just chalked it up to growing up in a different part of the country and being more on the shy side. Remus looked nervous, his gaze flickering between the wand James was holding closely to his side, tucked out of sight, and the group of people at the end of the Gryffindor table.

"What're you talking about? Of course it's brilliant!" Sirius Black chimed in, his usual aristocratic drawl tinged with excitement.

James looked between his two new mates, a grin on his face. "Don't worry Remus, nobody will know it was us."

"Us? You mean you." Remus replied, shaking his head. "I already told you I think it's a bad idea for a prank. Lily already doesn't like you."

"Bah! Who cares what Evans thinks?" Sirius interrupted as he scooped a large piece of pumpkin pie onto his dinner plate. "She's a stuck up know-it-all anyway, _and _she has poor taste in mates."

James nodded in agreement. While he wasn't too keen on thinking about the fact that Evans had taken to hating him so quickly, he had to admit that the fact that she was mates with Severus Snape proved that her choice of friends wasn't the best in the first place.

"Just because you don't like Snape doesn't mean he's a bad friend to Lily." Remus reasoned. "They've known each other since they were kids, there had to be something good about him that Lily can see."

James shrugged. "It doesn't matter, mate. And it doesn't have anything to do with the prank."

"I just don't see why you have to do it to her. Why not an older student? Or anyone else in our year?"

James paused, his brow furrowing. He hadn't really thought about it until Remus phrased it like that. It just seemed natural that Evans be the one that he pulled his Halloween prank on. There was something about her that made him want to get under her skin, to pick and prod and poke until she reacted. Sure, he could get a reaction from just about anybody when he pranked them, but there was something _more_ in the reaction that he got out of Evans. The way that her cheeks flushed heavily, the redness creeping all the way down her neck, and the angry flash in her green eyes when she got all worked up made it all the more fun.

Sirius broke into the conversation again, his tone dripping with annoyance. "Stop being such a mother hen, Remus. James, go on, you're going to miss the opportunity if you don't hurry up."

Before he could think any more about it, James lifted his wand-though he was still careful to keep it out of sight-and muttered the incantation. "Cucurbitis elixis moveremus."

The cluster of pumpkins that sat on the tabletop in front of Lily and her friends for decoration burst into motion, zooming up and down and around the heads of the group of girls. Sirius and James bit back their laughter, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves. James watched as Lily swatted at the pumpkin that was bouncing around her head and her mates, Mary and Marlene, ducked out of the way of two pumpkins that were spinning wildly around in midair. People were beginning to notice the odd behavior at the end of the table and the Great Hall was getting louder with the sound of laughter as people watched the girls being ambushed by the gourds.

James caught Sirius's eye and they both grinned widely, causing Remus to groan and drop his head onto the table. With a slight nod at one another, both boys flicked their wands and whispered, "Praemium."

Without warning, the levitating pumpkins exploded, their thick skin bursting open as though it had been shot through. The innards, seeds and slimy orange pulp coating the girls. James tucked his wand into his trousers carefully before allowing himself to let out the laugh that he had been holding back.

As he examined his spell work, his eyes lingered on Evans. There was that flush again, flooding her face and spreading down her neck to her collarbone. Her shoulder-length red hair was covered in stringy pumpkin guts, and a seed was stuck to her cheek. Even covered in slim, James found it hard to look away from her, and his stomach gave an uncomfortable twist with the thought.

Just as he was about to look away, Lily looked up and her eyes met his own. Her green gaze was burning brilliantly with anger, and he knew that somehow, she _knew. _Evans knew that he was the one responsible, and the look in her eyes promised that he would be sorry. James swallowed hard, but held her gaze, unable to bring himself to look away from her just then.

Lily narrowed her eyes, another flash of emotion brightening them as she did. Unable to help himself, the corner of James's mouth tipped up in a smirk and Lily's eyes narrowed further as she shook her head, just slightly, before pushing herself up from the table and stalking out of the hall, followed closely by Mary and Marlene.

"I told you she was going to dislike you even more." Remus said, raising an eyebrow at James.

James just grinned and shrugged. "Brilliant prank though."

Sirius barked out a laugh and clapped James on the shoulder. "Their faces! Bloody hilarious, mate!"

James laughed again, reveling in the memory of Evans's face when she caught his gaze, her cheeks pink and eyes flashing. As he turned back to his pie, James was already planning the next prank so he could see that reaction once again.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Day Three! This one was pretty fun to write. It's actually been cold in California, so thinking about Christmas just made it all the more wonderful to cozy up and enjoy the weather. I even got to sit with some hot tea in front of a fire while I was working on this, so that was just lovely. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! xox**

**Three**

**Christmas**

Christmas used to be Lily's favorite holiday. Going home to her family, the twinkling lights and the decorations on the tree, sipping hot tea and watching the snowfall, the excitement of opening presents in the early morning...it was a magical time, even more magical than Hogwarts, in her mind. But Petunia had managed to ruin that for Lily as well, with her comments about not wanting to spend the holidays with a freak around. She was planning on introducing Veron to Mr. and Mrs. Evans, after all, and that would only be tainted with Lily around. Petunia had gone so far as to write Lily a letter informing her that she would ruin Christmas for the rest of the family if she were to come home that year.

So it was these events that found Lily spending the winter hols of her sixth year alone in Gryffindor Tower. If she had told Marlene and Mary that she was staying, they would have stayed with her, but she hadn't wanted to ruin their holidays just because her sister was a selfish cow. In all honesty, Lily didn't mind being alone so much. Being alone gave her time to think, and lately she had found she had quite a bit to think about.

The last year had brought on a lot of changes in her life. The world outside of Hogwarts was deteriorating, filled with war and hatred, and the effects of that was seeping into the quiet haven of Hogwarts as well. Mary had been attacked, Severus had finally turned completely away from her in favor of Dark Magic-going so far as to mark his betrayal by calling her the worst word imaginable-and even her own sister had managed to completely shut her out. In a year full of loss and hurt, the only seemingly positive thing in her life was that James Potter was significantly less git-like than he had been. In fact, they were on the track of becoming rather good mates.

It was two days until Christmas and Lily sat tucked up in her four-poster, sipping her peppermint tea and reflecting on all of these thoughts in her head, when she was interrupted by a loud bang from the direction of the common room. Without thinking, Lily reached for her wand and crept towards the door. She knew that Hogwarts was heavily protected, but if there was an intruder meaning harm, she was the one responsible for protecting the few younger students who had stayed behind.

She made her way down the stairs silently, holding her breath as she did. When she finally got to the bottom, she held her wand aloft and asked, "Who's there and what do you want?"

A dull cough came from behind the couch near the fireplace, so Lily gingerly stepped around the furniture, tripping over something hard as she went. Lily crashed down onto the ground, smacking her elbow into the coffee table as she went.

"Bloody hell." A voice groaned from the darkness beside Lily. She pushed herself up to sitting and illuminated her wand, holding it shakily out in front of her.

"Oi, Evans. I'm in enough pain without you blinding me as well." James Potter muttered, pushing her wand out of his face and propping himself up on his elbows.

"Potter? What're you doing here?" Lily asked, her eyes raking over him. "Laying on the floor covered in soot and making a racket in the middle of the night?"

James rolled his eyes. "It's not the middle of the night, Evans. It's nine o'clock."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Pushy as ever, huh?" he sighed. Lily noticed him wince as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. "In case you forgot, I'm a student here."

It was Lily's turn to roll her eyes. "You went home for winter hols though."

James grinned. "Keeping tabs on me Evans?"

"No, you prat. I'm a prefect. It's my job to know which students stay. And also to deal with the ones that apparently decide to come back early by means of the fireplace."

"Floo system. Dad got it cleared with McGonagall before I came." James replied. "Although, no one thought to tell me that Hogwarts has a lot more security obstacles than the regular network."

Lily found herself taking stock of James and his injuries, noticing that he was gingerly holding his side and that he had a small cut above his eyebrow. She shook her head and shifted closer to him.

"Obviously you aren't going to tell me why you came back early, but at least let me help you get patched up."

James opened his mouth to argue, but Lily stopped him by reaching forward and swiping a finger across his brow. When she drew back, it was covered in his blood and she gave him a scathing look, daring him to argue.

James let out a loud sigh before tipping his head in acquiescence.

"Let me start with the more serious one, then." Lily stood and held out her hand to help James stand as well. It was clear to her that at least one of his ribs were broken. James flinched in pain again as he stood and confirmed Lily's theory when he clutched at his side and sucked in a harsh breath.

"Sorry." Lily grimaced. "Off with your shirt then."

Despite the pain he was in, James smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Trying to get me undressed Evans?"

"Only to mend your broken bones, you git."

Shrugging, James pulled his shirt over his head, letting it drop to the floor. Lily paused, thankful for the fact that James's glasses had slipped off his face and he couldn't see the flush that was spreading across her cheeks. Because James was _fit_. His skin was smooth and tan, stretched firmly over the muscles he had apparently developed over the past year. Lily had never taken much notice of James's physique, but now that it was firmly-and nakedly-in front of her, she couldn't help but take it all in.

He slid his glasses back into place and Lily shook her head, clearing her throat.

"Alright then. It looks like theres one, maybe two, broken here." She reached forward, her hand brushing over his skin. She could hear James suck in a breath and felt a shiver run over him, as her fingertips were still feeling around his injury. "Sorry, I know my hands are cold."

Lily looked up and met his gaze. James's hazel eyes were burning behind his glasses and the playful smirk had fallen away, leaving behind a rather serious expression as he looked back at her.

"Your hands aren't cold." His voice was gruffer than usual and Lily felt the beginnings of another blush. She looked away quickly and busied herself with her wand, whispering the bone-mending incantation and watching as the unnatural look of his ribs faded into something more natural, the bruises seeping back into the color of his skin.

"Better?" she asked, unable to meet his eyes.

"Much, thanks." James replied. He leaned down to grab his shirt, but Lily stopped him.

"Wait! Might as well finish up. Then I can go to bed and you can clean up the mess you made down here."

James laughed. "Always responsible, Evans."

Lily shrugged and moved to stand in front of him once again. She lifted her hands and removed his glasses, placing them in his outstretched hand. Their fingers brushed and she felt a jolt shoot up her arm, making her pull away quickly.

"Emantur ligna." she whispered, brushing the tip of her wand over the cut on his face. The wound seal itself immediately, leaving not even the slightest mark behind. "Alright, Potter. I think you're mended."

James slid his glasses back onto his face, pushing them up on his nose with one finger as he looked at Lily. She forced herself to meet his eyes, unable to understand the new dynamic that was happening between them. She didn't know how they had ended up standing so close, but if she shifted even an inch forward, her chest would brush against his. There was so much tension between them that the air was practically humming with it.

"Thank you." James said quietly, his voice soft. Lily had to fight back the shiver that wanted to run down her spine.

She nodded curtly and stepped away, moving around the couch to much safer ground. Trying to regain normalcy between them, she gestured to the soot and ash on the carpet and the overturned side table by the fireplace. "Be sure to clean this up."

James laughed and shook his head. "Alright Evans."

"Hey, Lily?" Lily was halfway back up the girls staircase when he spoke again. She paused, listening. "Happy Christmas Eve."

She looked back at him over her shoulder, a smile brightening her face. Maybe, despite Petunia and all of the awful things that had happened that year, the magic of Christmas would still find Lily.

"Happy Christmas Eve, James."

**A/N: Again, I hope you enjoyed! Feedback is my soul-food 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, I managed to fall behind rather quickly, and for that I apologize. Alas, here is Day 4 of Jilytober. I'll be posting a few chapters today in hopes of catching back up. Hope you enjoy!**

**Four**

**Remus's Secret**

James was in pain. It was normal, after the full moon, for him to be sore, but this was different. This was excruciating. There was something wrong with his leg-he was pretty sure it was broken-and his head was throbbing.

"It's alright mate, you're gonna be alright." Sirius's voice came from far off above his head. James could hear the concern in his voice, and something else that sounded like fear. He must look worse than he thought.

"You'll be okay Prongs, we'll get you up to Pomfrey and she'll fix you up right." Peter added, his voice high-pitched with nerves.

James tried to shake his head, but stopped when a throbbing pain shot through it with the movement and made his vision go black. "No, not Pomfrey."

"Mate, we all know you're tough but you need to see a medic." Sirius replied.

"I'm not arguing that," James croaked. "But we can't go to Pomfrey. Too many questions. And we wouldn't be able to keep it from Moony."

Sirius and Peter were silent, and James forced his eyes open and turned his head so he could see them confereing quietly across the dingy room of the Shrieking Shack. When he turned his head further, he could see the shape of Remus curled under a ragged blanket, fast asleep. The full moon was hard on all of them, but it was hardest on Remus, and James was thankful that he was sleeping and didn't know anything about the aftermath of the night.

James shifted, trying to push himself to a sitting position before giving up with a heavy groan. "C'mon you know I'm right."

Sirius and Peter exchanged one last look before Sirius nodded and moved to crouch beside James. "Who then? I'd do it, but you know I'm bloody awful with broken bones."

James met Sirius's eyes. "Evans. It's got to be Evans."

With a sigh, Sirius tipped his head in agreement. "Of course it does."

* * *

Twenty minutes and a significant amount of pain later, Sirius and Peter had settled James into the Room of Requirement. The room had created a hospital-like environment, though it was quite a bit more comfortable than the actual hospital wing. James was lying back on a large plush couch, his head resting on the arm of the couch and his leg propped up haphazardly on a cushion.

Peter had run off to summon Lily, who was probably going to be right pissed being woken up at two in the morning, especially when James didn't have any sort of explanation.

Almost as if he had read his mind, Sirius turned to James. "What're you going to tell Evans?"

"Dunno. I'm hoping she just won't ask."

"Prongs. It's Evans were talking about here. She's going to ask."

"Maybe I'll tell her we decided to check out the Forbidden Forest and the centaurs found us."

Sirius nodded. "That could work."

James blew out a breath. He didn't want to lie to Lily. They were finally on track to being mates and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin that. But it wasn't his secret to tell, and he wouldn't betray Remus.

Shortly after the boys lapsed back into silence, the door to the room opened and Peter ran in, dragging Lily Evans by the hand behind him.

"Peter, what in Merlin's name is going on?" Lily was asking exasperatedly.

Peter stopped and sucked in a few breaths, gesturing wildly to the couch where James lay. Lily's head lifted slowly and she caught James's eye. He watched as her gaze swept down his body, carefully and quickly cataloguing all of his injuries, her eyes narrowing as she moved along his body.

"Alright Evans?" James managed to say, chuckling hoarsely.

"What the hell is this?" she replied, taking a step towards him.

Sirius pushed himself off the couch and stepped towards Lily at the same time. "Look Evans, we know you like the rules-being a Prefect and all-but this is serious and we can't go to Pomfrey. You're the best witch in this school and you're bloody brilliant at healing."

Lily looked between James and Sirius, once again taking in the many injuries scattered across James's body and Sirius's very serious expression. "Fine."

She stepped closer to James, leaning down to look at him more closely. He had to remind himself to breathe when her fingers brushed across his forehead and the smell of her shampoo wafted over him when her hair swung forward over her shoulder.

Sirius and Peter crowded around, offering vague comments and asking questions with each move that Lily made. James watched as Lily's brow furrowed with each question and he tried to shoot his mates a warning glance, though they ignored his efforts. Finally, when Peter made the mistake of asking Lily if she was sure she was using the correct charm for healing a cut on James's arm, Lily snapped.

"Out! Get out of here, both of you!" Lily shouted, standing before turning to glare at the two. "You wake me up at an ungodly hour, don't bother telling me why, drag me halfway across the castle, and then question my spellwork? Just. Get. Out."

Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but James sent him a cutting look and shook his head, which he was now able to do without pain thanks to Lily's wand work. Lily propped her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

"See you later, Prongs." Sirius grumbled before sulking towards the door. Peter followed, waving at James over his shoulder as the two of them left the room.

"Finally, I can work in peace." Lily sighed as she turned back towards James.

James grinned. "They mean well."

Lily nodded and settled back onto the couch beside him and her thigh brushed against his hip. James busied himself with straightening his glasses to try and keep him mind from analyzing that too much. Being in such close proximity to Lily Evans was making it hard for James to concentrate, and it only got that much worse when he fingers drifted over his skin as she moved from injury to injury.

"How's Remus doing?" Lily asked, her voice carefully casual as she kept her gaze focused on his broken leg while she worked over it.

James froze for a second before chuckling weakly. "Sleeping. He didn't want to go out with us tonight, said he didn't want to risk detention on the next Hogsmeade trip."

Lily looked up and met his eye, once again raising her eyebrow. "Potter. You're really bad at lying."

"I'm not lying." James replied, though even he could hear the shift in his tone.

"I was only asking because if you're this torn up then Remus must be in pain as well."

James furrowed his brow, his hand shooting up into his hair where he ruffled it nervously. "Can't say I understand what you mean, Evans."

Lily rolled her eyes before turning her gaze back to his leg. She was quiet for a minute and James almost relaxed when she spoke again.

"It was the full moon tonight, Potter." she paused and glanced up at him again. "I just want to know if I need to mend Remus as well."

"What…" James began. He paused and swallowed hard. "I mean…"

Lily interrupted him. "You don't have to stumble around for some lie to tell me. I know about Remus, and I know what you and Sirius and Peter do for him every month. Why do you think I didn't insist that you go to Pomfrey tonight?"

James gapped at her in disbelief. His heart was racing as he processed her words. Lily Evans knew about Remus's secret. She knew that he was a werewolf, and yet, she had never once treated him differently. She had never hesitated to hug him when occasion called for it, or to sit in the library studying with him late into the night. Not only that, but she knew that he and his two mates had illegally become unregistered animagi. And she had never said a word about it.

"But how…?"

Lily scoffed. "I'm a pretty bright witch, Potter. And I'm in the same house as you four. It didn't take much to put it all together."

"You don't treat Remus any differently, though."

"Why should I? It's not like he asked for it. And he's never hurt anyone," she paused as she looked over James again. "On purpose, at least."

"Merlin Evans," James breathed, "you're an incredible witch, d'you know that?"

Lily laughed and James was pleased when he noticed a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and slipped her wand back into the pocket of her robe.

"You're all set." Lily responded, ignoring his compliment. "But honestly, does Remus need anything?"

James shook his head and pushed himself up, swinging his legs off of the couch. "I'll take him chocolate in the morning, and Pomfrey will have his regular potion. I took the brunt of everything last night."

Lily nodded and stood, smoothing her robe down in an almost nervous manner. "I'm not going to say anything, just so you know."

James smiled at her. "Appreciate that, Evans. And thank you for fixing me up. I feel loads better."

"Right. Just…" Lily glanced down and James bit back a grin when he noticed a blush spreading across her cheeks again. "Just try not to get so hurt next time, alright?"

"Worried about me Evans?"

Lily rolled her eyes, though she didn't deny his sentiment. "Night Potter."

James watched her walk to the door, a smile on his face. Lily Evans never ceased to surprise him. When she reached the door, he called out after her. "Goodnight, Evans."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Another chapter for my game of catchup. This chapter is a little different than the others, but I've been wanting to try different writing styles and just exercise my writing half of my brain. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**Five**

**Detention**

"You look awfully beautiful right now, Evans."

"Shut up, Potter."

"Now, is that any way to talk to your date?"

"This isn't a date. I'm literally walking you to detention right now."

"I don't know, Evans. Seems like a pretty date-esque environment right now. Quiet hallway, just the two of us alone, romantic lighting…"

"It's a quiet and we're alone because the rest of the students are in Hogsmeade right now. Which is were I should be, but instead I have to escort you to detention because McGonagall didn't think you would show up on your own account." Lily replied. "And the lighting isn't romantic. It's a dark castle, there are floating jack-o-lanterns, and the suits of armour look creepy in the shadows."

James chuckled. "Honestly, I think Minnie is rooting for us. This is probably her way of giving us ample opportunity to test the waters of our relationship."

"Minnie? For Merlin's sake, James." Lily rolled her eyes. "And McGonagall wouldn't stoop so low as to meddle in student affairs."

"Ah, so there _is _and affair to meddle in." James waggled his brow.

Lily didn't deign to respond, but she couldn't help but notice the twisting sensation in her stomach when her hand bumped into his, their fingers brushing. When they arrived at the end of the hallway, Lily was quick to usher James into the classroom where Filch was waiting with his punishment.

"Oi, Evans!" James leaned his head out of the classroom and called after her. She paused and looked over her shoulder at him, raising her eyebrow questioningly. He grinned at her, his hazel eyes sparkling. "I like when you call me James."

Before she could respond, James ducked back into the classroom to fulfill his detention, leaving Lily standing in the dim hallway staring after him with an odd feeling constricting her chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

**Tutoring**

"I don't understand why I can't get this!" Lily groaned, dropping her head down onto her crossed arms that were resting on the table.

Remus sighed. "You aren't too far off, Lily. I'm just an awful teacher."

Lily raised her head and peaked at Remus over the stack of books sitting in front of her. He was looking at her seriously, his tired eyes running over her face. Lily felt bad that she hadn't noticed how rough Remus had been looking lately and mentally chastised herself for not thinking about it being close to the full moon.

"You're aren't." Lily sighed and sat up, pushing her hair back out of her face. "I'll get it eventually. Thanks for trying to help me out, Remus."

Lily began gathering up the books spread across the table, stacking the ones covering the theory of transfiguration in one stack and the ones that listed the principles in another. Remus remained seated, looking at Lily carefully. When she realized he wasn't packing up his things to leave, she paused and looked at him questioningly.

"What is it?"

Remus blew out a breath. "Well, I'm not the best teacher, but I know someone that could help you."

"If you're going to say Potter…"

Remus held up a hand to stop her and Lily paused. "I know you and James haven't always gotten along. But you know that this year had been different. You aren't constantly at each other's throats. Merlin, sometimes it even seems as if you two might be friends."

Lily busied herself with stacking the books again, avoiding Remus's gaze. He was right, after all. James was more of a friend to her than anything this year. He had deflated his head significantly and was a lot more responsible than he had ever been before. And that was where the problem lay, because now that James wasn't such a git, Lily couldn't help but notice all the good qualities about him. Now, she found herself admiring the way he got really focused when he was bent over a Transfiguration textbook, and the way he would hum and mumble under his breath when he found something particularly interesting. Not to mention the fact that now, when he ran his fingers through his messy mop of jet black hair-a trait that used to annoy her to no end-_she _wanted to be the one whose fingers were buried in the thick strands.

"I'm not saying that we aren't closer to being friends than enemies, but Potter as a tutor?" Lily replied, hoping her voice wasn't betraying any of her thoughts.

"James is brilliant at Transfiguration. He's the one that helped all of us ace our O.W.L.s last year." Remus argued. "Besides, Lily, what other option have you got?"

Lily closed her eyes for a split second, trying to rationalize her thoughts. Because she would be crazy to accept James Potter as a tutor; to put herself in a situation where she would have to interact with him on a personal level at least once a week, if not more, before she figured out what all the confusing thoughts in her head meant.

"I guess I don't have any other option." Lily replied. She hoped that she was making the right choice, that she could maintain some semblance of control over the situation and her thoughts. "You'll talk to him, then?"

Remus studied her, and though she didn't know what he saw there on her face, whatever it was brought a smile to his own. "Yeah, I'll talk to him."

* * *

"Alright Evans?"

Lily bolted upright, startled. James Potter had somehow managed to slide into the seat opposite her without her noticing until he spoke.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Just fine, when people aren't making me jump and spill my ink everywhere."

"Didn't mean to scare you." James grinned. "You must've been really focused. What're you reading?"

Lily sighed and pushed the book that was laying open on the table in front of her towards him. "Transfiguration. This essay for McGonagall is due by the end of the week and its killing me."

James flipped the book around and pulled it closer to him. Lily watched as his eyes scanned the page and he nodded to himself as he took in the information on the page. James Potter was interesting to watch, when he wasn't looking at her. Lily found herself intrigued by the planes of his face-his sharp cheekbones and aristocratic nose-and how the black frames of his specs sat perched on the bridge of his nose, not at all detracting from the brilliant hazel colour of his eyes.

James looked up and Lily blinked and looked down quickly, letting her hair swing forward to hide the blush tinting her cheeks.

"What part are you having trouble with?" James asked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had been staring at him for a beat longer than she should have.

"Well...all of it, really." James looked at her, surprise evident on his face. Lily shrugged. "I get the basics, but the theories of human transfiguration are complex. There's just so much. And you can forget about me actually performing it."

"C'mon Evans! It's easy stuff once you understand the two main theories."

Lily glanced around the library to make sure there was no one within ear shot before lowering her voice and leaning slightly across the table. "Not everyone managed to become an illegal animagus at fifteen, James. It's not so easy for the rest of us normal witches, you know."

James laughed, sitting back in his seat. "Alright, you've got me."

"Forget it, I'll just bluff through the essay and get an Acceptable. McGonagall already told us we don't have to actually perform on humans because its too dangerous in case we mess up." Lily sighed.

James shook his head. "No, Evans. I'll help you and I promise by the time you leave this room tonight you'll be an expert in the theories."

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but James cut her off with a look. He stood and pulled his chair around the table so that they were sitting next to each other before pulling the book back across the table and flipping it around so they could read it.

Sitting in such close proximity to him immediately had Lily's heart beating faster. He smelled like broom polish and cinnamon and something so distinctly James, and it was such a heady scent that she found herself shifting so that she was closer to him. When her elbow brushed against his she felt a tingle shoot up her arm and she found herself wanting to brush against him again to see if it was a reoccuring sensation.

Lily was struggling with her inner turmoil and the strange feelings of wanting to touch James Potter and wasn't completely listening to what James was trying to explain to her. James, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the reaction that Lily was having. He sat beside her, skimming through the pages of the textbook, pointing to interesting points. When he got to the first theory, he sat up straighter in his seat, gesturing wildly with his hands as he explained the ins and outs of the theory and how it had originated.

Lily managed to shake herself out of her thoughts, ignoring the desire to test her own theory about touching James and instead re-focusing on what he was trying to explain to her. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject was vast, and after an hour of going through all of the main topics, Lily had a much better grasp on the process of human transfiguration than she had had after reading through the chapter ten times. When they finally looked up from the books, the library was empty, but Lily was able to recite the complex theories and the entire process step by step.

"Thank you for tutoring me." Lily said around a yawn as she pushed back from the table and stretched.

"Of course." James grinned. "It was fun."

"Only because you can finally claim to be more advanced in a subject than me." Lily teased.

"Well, that…" James laughed. "And you're good to be around."

Lily felt the blush rise up her neck again at his words, but she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. "You're good to be around too, Potter."

They cleaned up the table while an easy silence settled between them. Lily had seen an entirely new side of James as he had helped her, taking the time to really explain the things that she needed to know and not hesitating to slow down and go more in depth when he felt like she hadn't yet grasped something. And while she probably wouldn't admit it to anyone-maybe not even to herself out loud-she was pretty sure that part of her-a rather big part-liked James Potter as a little more than just a tutor or a friend.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Trying my hand at something new once again. I hope it reads as well as my usual style. Enjoy! xox**

**Seven**

**Summer Holidays/Meeting James's Parents**

**Headcanons**

Lily had met James's parents at the end of third year, when she was walking away from her parents to board the train.

James had called out to her-something stuipd and off-hand, most likely-and Euphemia had chastized him and made him apologize

Lily had politely thanked her before turning and hurrying on to the train, frustrated that Potter was _already_ managing to get on her nerves

The exchange was so insignificant to Lily, though, that she didn't remember

Euphemia, however, did.

So when James starts casually dropping hints that Lily might come visit sometime during summer hols, Euphemia has to bite her tongue

Because she had liked that little red-headed girl instantly, and she knew that James was in love with her, and all she wanted was for her son to be radiantly happy

Lily was extremely nervous when James invited her to visit over the summer after sixth year

She spent the entire day before she was supposed to go rooting through her closet and trying to figure out what to wear. Did she wear muggle clothes, or her robes?

Petunia rolled her eyes every time she walked by Lily's door and saw her rummaging through her drawers

James, on the other hand, was oddly calm.

Where usually he would be a wreck, thinking about Evans, he wasn't the slightest bit worried about having her at his house

If anything, he was excited for Lily to see what it was like to live in the wizarding world. To experience a house full of moving photographs and paintings, to see a cauldron in the kitchen and a storage room for Potions supplies

When Lily actually arrived at James's house her nerves went away

The gut-wrenching feeling in her stomach eased immediately when she walked up the path as saw James standing by the door, grinning at her

Before he could hug her, though, Euphemia-who was bursting with excitement at finally meeting the spunky red-head her son couldn't stop talking about-pushed him out of the way and ushered Lily in

She gave her a tour of the house before pulling her into the sitting room and pouring some tea

Lily, though bewildered, went along with it. Euphemia was easy to talk to, and she told the best stories of James when he was a boy

James just stood in the doorway, taking in the sight of Lily laughing with his mum

Fleamont came in from the garden to join James, and he watched his son watch the ladies with a glint in his eye

Fleamont recognized the look on James's face when he looked at Lily. It was, after all, the same look he knew crossed his own face when he looked at his wife

James finally broke in, interrupting his mum when she started to tell Lily about the time he had tried to fly his broomstick fresh out of the bath.

He introduced Fleamont to Lily, who started gushing about Potions

Fleamont's face lit up when Lily went on and on about brewing theories and potion ingredients. He clapped his son on the back and whispered "Well chosen." in his ear

After dinner, they were all disappointed when Lily announced that she should head home.

Euphemia hugged her tightly, telling her she was welcome back anytime, even if James wasn't there.

Fleamont hugged her as well, and slipped a small package into her hands with a wink as he pulled away. It was a Potions kit full of experimental ingredients.

James walked Lily to the door and said his goodbyes. They hugged, and he thought Lily might have hesitated when pulling away, but that was probably just his imagination

They were just friends, after all.

When Lily was safely on her way back home, James was met by both of his parents by the front door

Euphemia was beaming, and Fleamont had a rather large grin on his face.

"I can't wait to see what their babies will look like." Euphemia sighed.

James blushed and shook his head. "We're friends, mum."

She rolled her eyes and tsked, because she knew damn well that there was a lot more than friendship between the two, though they both seemed too blind or too stubborn to realize it

James ended up taking his broom out for a night ride to clear his head and remind himself that he was finally friends with Lily and he didn't want to ruin it.

It didn't matter how good it felt to see her fit into his family so well.

Lily, on the other hand, went home and laid back on her bed, the thoughts in her head a jumbled mess.

Something had shifted between her and James. She could feel it.

His parents had been so open and welcoming, treating her like she was a part of their family

And that had been so nice, after Petunia and the Death Eaters

And being around James had felt like coming home.

All of the fear and anxiety she had about what was coming disappeared when she was with him. Her nerves had settled the second she saw his face, and she knew that meant more than anything else

When he had hugged her, she had wanted so badly to reach up and kiss him, but she hesitated because she wasn't sure if he still thought of her like that.

And he hadn't given any indication that he wanted more than the friendly hug that they had shared.

But even though that part of the evening was confusing, Lily couldn't help but smile every time she though about the rest of it

And she knew, without a doubt, that she would be back


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight **

**Marauders Becoming Animagi**

"There's something going on with those three." Lily said, narrowing her eyes as she stared down the table in the Great Hall at breakfast.

Marlene and Mary both looked to where Lily was staring and saw the boys in question. James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew were all sitting at the end of the table looking miserable. Remus Lupin, the fourth member of their group, was sitting there as well, though he didn't look nearly as miserable as the other boys as he ate his bacon.

"What do you mean?" Mary asked, looking back at Lily.

Lily couldn't quite figure out exactly what she meant, but she knew she was right. There was something going on with the three boys. For one, James Potter hadn't bothered her for two weeks. Not even an 'Alright, Evans?' in the hallway, let alone an invitation to Hogsmeade or a suggestion from Sirius that they find an empty broom closet. For two, the three of them weren't eating anything. And after spending four years at the same school as them, Lily knew that they usually ate like they had been stranded and starving.

With a sigh, Lily turned away and picked up her tea, taking a sip before replying. "I'm not sure, but they're acting suspicious."

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Lily, you always think Potter is up to something."

"Most of the time he is."

"He's really not that bad of a bloke, you just won't give him a chance."

Mary, sensing an argument brewing, interjected. "Hey, Lily, did we have any Charms homework this week?"

Lily turned to Mary. "No, but we did have that Transfiguration essay on Animagi to work on."

From the corner of her eye, Lily saw the four boys push themselves up from the table and make their way out of the hall. Without thinking, she moved to follow them.

"Where are you going?" Marlene asked, narrowing her eyes. Marlene was always too observant, which most of the time Lily didn't mind but now she was cursing it.

"Oh, I forgot the book I need for the Transfiguration essay. Mary just reminded me about it so I'm going to the library before class."

Marlene gave her a skeptical look, but didn't argue. Mary just smiled and waved Lily off before turning to Marlene and asking her about some article in Witch Weekly.

Lily snuck off down the hall after the boys, keeping care to stay out of their notice. She saw her opportunity to get closer to them when they ducked into a narrow passage that she knew for a fact was a secret entrance into one of the classrooms on the third floor. Taking off at a run, Lily barely made it to the classroom in time to duck into the spare closet before the boys entered.

She was mashed up against several old coats that smelled awfully of dust and mothballs, but the door was cracked open just far enough that she was able to hear what the four were saying.

"These leaves taste awful, Moony." Potter was saying, though there was something strange about his voice.

"I don't think I can do this for the rest of the month." Sirius added, his voice garbled as well.

"You shouldn't be doing this at all." Remus replied, and Lily could tell that he was annoyed. "I've already told you that it's dangerous, not to mention illegal."

"We don't care about that, Moony." Sirius interrupted.

Lily understood why their voices were so strange. They were walking around with leaves in their mouths, Merlin knew why, or how that would lead to something dangerous and illegal, but Lily was determined to find out.

"Right. Moony, we care about you. And this will make everything so much easier for you every month." James replied.

"But I don't want you to do this. I don't want to risk it. It's not...I'm not worth it." Remus replied angrily. Lily could hear the emotion in his voice and wanted to step out of the closet to comfort him but she held herself back. For one, the boys would be angry that she was listening to their conversation, and she didn't have a reasonable explanation as to why she was in the classroom in the first place. Secondly, none of them knew that she knew Remus's secret, so her understanding of Remus being upset wouldn't make sense to them.

James interjected, and Lily was surprised to hear such emotion in his words as she shouted around the leaf in his mouth. "Don't you ever say that, Remus. Don't ever say you aren't worth it. You're our best mate, we'd do anything for you."

"I understand that friends do things for each other, but risking everything to become animagi to hang out with a werewolf…"Remus chuckled darkly. "That's bloody stupid."

Lily covered her hand quickly to suppress a gasp. She had known that they were up to something, but becoming animagi? That was inconceivable. Not only were they stupid, they were crazy. The steps to take in order to start the process were insanely complex, and the process itself was highly dangerous and could go totally wrong.

The boys continued their conversation, though Lily wasn't paying attention to their words. She was too wrapped up in the swirl of thoughts in her own head. Their plan was dangerous and illegal, and she knew that it should be reported, but on the other hand she knew that she couldn't do that. Not only would she be outing the three of them, but Remus as well, and he didn't deserve that. Remus had done nothing wrong and he was already faced with so much suffering. If she went to anyone with this, she knew that his secret would come out and he would be expelled from Hogwarts. That wasn't something she could do.

Before long, Lily could hear the rustling of the boys picking up their things and leaving the room. When the door closed behind them, Lily exhaled loudly and sank to the ground, her back against the wall and her feet stretched out in front of her. She closed her eyes, and settled in.

She knew that the boys were up to something, but she wished she hadn't found out. Her life would be a lot simpler without such a secret weighing on her chest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine**

**Quidditch**

The beginning of fall brought with it another beginning-the start of the Quidditch season-and the Great Hall contained students simmering with excitement and nerves as they waited to head down to the pitch for the first official game of the season.

Lily Evans found herself sucked into the sea of students spilling out of the castle and onto the grounds at the end of breakfast, her best friend Mary clutching onto her for dear life so as to not get separated. Marlene, the third member of their usual trio, had left early to head to the training rooms to get changed for the match, as she was this year's Keeper for their house team.

As they neared the pitch, the crowd dispersed as the students found their way to their seats and Mary let go of Lily's arm as they slowed their pace.

"Oi! Evans!"

Lily turned to see James weaving in and out of the remaining students as he made his way to where she stood. He was already dressed in his Quidditch uniform and he clutched his broom in his right hand. The burgundy robes clung tightly to his chest and arms and Lily had to remind herself to look up at his face as a blush stole across her cheeks.

"What're you doing out here James? Shouldn't you be in the training room?"

James stopped in front of her and she had to crane her neck to look up and see his usual smirk on his face. "I'm heading there now. But when I saw you I wanted to see if you'd wish me luck."

"I thought the great James Potter, Head Boy _and _Quidditch Captain, didn't need luck?" Lily teased.

"A little luck from a pretty girl never hurts, Evans." James replied in mock seriousness.

Lily felt her cheeks heat even more, and busied herself by tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Things had been shifting between her and James lately, mostly in the sense that she found she didn't mind so much when he flirted with her. She actually sort of enjoyed it, if she was being truly honest with herself.

"Good luck, James." Lily said softly, looking back up at him. His hazel eyes were glowing brightly behind his glasses as he looked down at her.

"Lily! Hurry up, all the good seats are being taken!" called Mary, who had gone ahead to try and find them good seats. Lily jumped and stepped back from James. She hadn't realized that they were standing so close they were nearly touching.

James chuckled and reached his hand up to ruffle his hair. "Better get going then."

Lily nodded, swallowing hard. Unsure of what to say, or what exactly had been happening between them, Lily turned and made her way to Mary, though she glanced back over her shoulder to see James watching her, an odd expression on his face.

Mary rolled her eyes when Lily reached her and pulled on Lily's arm to guide her to the seats the Remus was saving for them.

"What?" Lily asked, allowing herself to be dragged along.

"You two are pathetic." Mary sighed. "Do us all a favor and stop being so dense."

Lily opened her mouth to ask Mary to elaborate, but snapped it shut before any words could escape. She had a feeling she knew what Mary was getting at, and she wasn't sure she was ready to hear to stated so bluntly. Instead, Lily took her place by her friends and settled in to watch the match.

And if her gaze stayed glued to one particular Chaser with unruly black hair and a set of crooked glasses, no one was the wiser.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ten**

**Growing Friendship**

**Lily**

Lily accepted her growing friendship with James more readily that anyone else would have imagined possible

She saw that he had actually changed and was happy to accept that

She knew that having a laugh with him was much more enjoyable than having a row, and in a world full of war it was always better to go with what brought joy

They began being friends 6th year

Not right at the beginning, because Lily was still a little stung about the stuff with Snape and how James had played a part in that

But by Christmas they were on their way to actually being mates

And Lily found that it was nice to be friends with James

He was smart and funny and could always make her laugh

Especially right after she got a rude letter from Petunia, who was forced to write to her by their mum

Lily didn't hesitate to tease James, either, and she fully appreciated the way his cheeks would turn red when she came up with a particularly good quip

James

James was more cautious about being friends with Lily

Everyone was surprised by this turn of events, but James was so careful because he was so worried about messing it up

He still felt awful about Snape, and he didn't know how to make it up to her either

Around Christmas though, James had finally accepted that they were truly friends

Even though he wanted more

But he still enjoyed studying with Lily, and making her laugh when she was upset, or teasing her about the smallest things

He loved seeing her eyes light up

And he adored when she teased him, even though she was really good at coming up with stuff that would actually make him blush


	11. Chapter 11

**Eleven**

**Getting Drunk**

Lily Evans was drunk. She knew this, and yet, instead of going to bed like the responsible Head Girl she _should _have been, she stayed at the party that was being housed in the Gryffindor Common Room post-Quidditch game victory.

From where she sat perched on an armchair tucked away in the corner of the room by the girls dormitory staircase, she could see the swilling mass of students dancing to the music that was coming from Merlin knew where. There were Gryffindors, mainly, but also a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaw seventh years that had been invited to join in on the fun.

Lily wasn't sure where Marlene, Mary, or Dorcas had disappeared to, and she couldn't quite bring herself to be concerned with them either as her eyes scanned the moving crowd. No, Lily was quite insistent on finding one student in particular, and as her eyes moved across the room and landed on a rather densely populated area near the make-shift bar, she knew she had found him.

Because wherever there was a crowd, there was James Potter, with his stupidly messy hair and lop-sided specs and his big dumb adorable grin and sparkly hazel eyes. And why wouldn't there be a crowd-mostly young witches, Lily couldn't help but note as her eyes narrowed-around the hero of the match? James had single-handedly managed to score most of the goals, putting Gryffindor a good six hundred and fifty points ahead of Slytherin before the Snitch was caught.

Without thinking about it-not that thinking would do her much good, in her inebriated state-Lily pushed herself up from the armchair and stumbled her way across the room, bumping into student and inanimate objects alike as she went.

She didn't know exactly what she planned on doing once she reached James, but she was far too tipsy to let that bother her. When she got closer, however, and James happened to glance up and meet her eyes, she almost turned and ran back in the opposite direction. James, however, took that as an opportunity to excuse himself from the group of people chattering around him loudly and he extricated himself and joined her where she stood leaning against the bar.

"Alright Evans?"

"Brilliant." Lily replied, smiling up at him.

James laughed. "You're pissed, aren't you?"

Lily frowned. "I've only had a few."

He shook his head, laughing. "You're absolutely drunk, Lily Evans."

Lily, feeling braver than she would have if she were sober, leaned forward and brushed her hand down James's arm. "You played brilliantly today, you know."

James sucked in a breath at Lily's bold touch and raised his hand to his hair in nervous habit. "Er, thanks Evans. The whole team was excellent. All that training paid off."

"It's because you're their captain." Lily said matter-of-factly. "You're incredible, James. Really, Quidditch Captain and Head Boy suit you."

"Evans, you should probably head to bed." James replied, unsure of how to handle himself. Lily was telling him all kinds of things he had wanted to hear from her for ages, but he was fairly certain it was only because she was piss drunk.

"Oh," Lily's face fell and she glanced back at the group of people that had been surrounding James. "I interrupted you. Sorry, I'll let you get back to them then."

She stepped away and turned to go, her face turning pink with embarrassment. James groaned. He was always putting his foot in it where Lily was concerned.

"Evans," James caught her arm. "I'm not just trying to get rid of you."

Lily looked up at him through her eyelashes, her face more telling than she wanted it to be but the alcohol making it difficult to control. "Then why are you trying to get me to go to bed?"

James sighed. "C'mere."

He pulled her through the crowded common room, weaving them through the bodies until they were in the back of the room, tucked in a small alcove under the stairs. Lily followed quietly, and remained silent when he pulled her to a stop in the tiny space.

"I wasn't trying to get rid of you." he ran a hand through his hair, trying to find the words to perfectly articulate his thoughts to the beautifully drunk girl in front of him. "Trust me, I never want to get rid of you. I'd spend all my time with you if that were logical or reasonable or whatever…But I also know that you're drunk, and you might be saying things that you don't actually mean, or that you don't mean in the way that I'm going to interpret them."

Lily blinked. "I didn't say anything I didn't mean, James. You're brilliant. You're an excellent Captain and Head Boy, and you should know that."

James just stared at her.

"To be completely honest with you, I don't tell you enough how great you are. And I'm tired of it. I'm so tired of not being honest with you, of dancing around whatever this is," she gestured between the two of them, "and pretending that I'm not constantly thinking about things I probably shouldn't be thinking about."

"I...Lily, what?" James stuttered. His usual bravado stripped away. He didn't know if he was dreaming, or if Lily Evans was really standing in front of him telling him everything he had always wanted her hear from her, and he wasn't sure he wanted to figure it out in fear of being disappointed.

"Merlin, James. I'm trying to tell you that I like you." Lily bit out exasperatedly.

"I like you too, Lily." James said slowly.

"Oi, you git." Lily stepped closer to him and raised her hand, jabbing him in the chest with one finger. "I _like _you, James. I have feelings for you. I fancy you, And I'm so damn tired of dancing around it."

Before he could respond, Lily stepped forward, closing the gap between them. She rose up on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around his neck before pressing her lips to his own. James didn't hesitate before he responded with an enthusiasm that Lily was more than happy to match.

And if she thought she was drunk on alcohol before, it was nothing compared to being drunk on the feelings that kissing James brought forth.


	12. Chapter 12

**Twelve**

**Petunia's Wedding/Meeting Lily's Parents**

Lily was so nervous the morning before Petunia's wedding that she could barely get dressed. She skipped breakfast because she could barely even think about eating something without getting nauseous. Not only was it her big sister's wedding, but it was the first time her family would be meeting James. She had wanted it to happen at a different time, sometime less important and in which Petunia couldn't say that Lily had been trying to upstage her, but Mrs. Evans had insisted and there was no talking her out of it.  
Lily had sent James at least twelve different owls with instructions on how to behave, what to say, what not to say, how to dress, and the final one a reminder to _please _try and comb his hair.

When it came time to get ready, Lily was a nervous wreck. James wasn't there, Petunia had shunned her from the room where all the other bridesmaids were getting ready, and she forgot how to do her hair. Luckily, Mrs. Evans was quick and skilled with hair, so she helped Lily get ready and reassured her that everything was going to be alright.

When James finally arrived, looking more handsome than she had ever seen him dressed in a muggle tuxedo, her heart calmed its frantic beating and she knew that even if the wedding was a disaster that she would be okay. James had that kind of effect on her.

Lily beamed when James shook her dad's hand and gave her mum a kiss on the cheek. She could tell that her parents took to him instantly. Luckily, Petunia and Vernon were otherwise occupied getting ready, so that introduction could be pushed off for quite a while. Lily couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks when James slipped his hand around hers, squeezing it gently as he whispered in her ear how beautiful she looked.

She knew, despite everything else, that with James by her side she would be able to make it through the night.

James wasn't nervous the entire time he was getting ready for Lily's sister's wedding. He wasn't concerned about meeting her parents or dealing with the walrus of a man that was going to be her brother-in-law. None of those things concerned him, as he knew he could handle them with ease.

What did make his stomach get all tied up in knots, however, was the first glimpse he caught of Lily when he arrived at the wedding venue. She was walking out of a dressing room with her mum, a slight frown wrinkling the spot just between her brows and her lips puckered in concern. Despite the obvious worried look on her face, she was stunning, even with the hideously pink sheath her sister had so maliciously chosen for her. Her long auburn hair was braided and pinned intricately, with a few strands falling delicately around her face and brushing her neck.

When she caught sight of him and her eyes lit up and the worried look dropped away,  
James felt as though he could fly without his broom. After that, everything else was easy. He shook hands with her dad, kissed her mum on the cheek and complimented them both for having such lovely daughters.

He could tell that her parents approved of him by the brilliant smile on Lily's face, and he couldn't help but grab her hand and let her know just how radiant she looked. From the corner of his eye, he could see Mr. and Mrs. Evans watching them, and he bit back a smile at the pleased expressions on both of their faces.

James couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Evans would keep that expression on his face five months from now, when James paid him a visit to ask his permission to take his second daughter to be his wife.


End file.
